Council wages war on Muswell Hill's ratty invaders

Haringey Council has announced it is waging a war on rats in Muswell Hill after residents complained of an infestation.

Council officers will visit Thames Water's headquarters to discuss the problem and a team of council pest controllers will descend on Muswell Hill to deal with the matter.

They will also contact residents and businesses to help identify the source and scale of the problem and are asking the public to report any sightings of rats in the area.

This activity is to address the concerns of residents living in Dukes Avenue who brought up the issue at the Muswell Hill Area Assembly, saying rats had been seen in the street.

Although the council stresses the need for everyone to be careful about placing waste food in exposed places there is also concern that broken drains and pipes from the sewers provide an outlet for the vermin to come into the street.

Haringey Council has pledged to do all it can to solve this problem and is asking Thames Water to bait the drains to reduce the rat population in the area. Any broken pipes and roadworks will also need to be looked at, as will any rubbish that may provide a food source for rats.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, cabinet member for enforcement and safer communities, says: "We are determined to get to the bottom of this problem and try to nip it in the bud. Thames Water will work with us and together we should be able to tackle any infestation and hopefully put in place preventative measures too. This is why we are meeting with Thames Water so we can work in partnership to deal with this matter.

"It will be a great help if residents contact us with sightings so we can accurately target areas of concern. It may be we are talking about one broken drain pipe which is allowing rats to escape and come looking for easy access to food. If so, we should be able to deal with the matter swiftly," she said.